Chapter 42: Chapter 42 Late Night Emergency1
Aria’s POV
The fluorescent lights of my office burned my eyes as I squinted at the spreadsheet for what felt like the hundredth time that evening. Numbers blurred together, refusing to make sense anymore.
I rubbed my temples, trying to ward off the headache that had been building for the past three hours.
Jennifer had left two hours ago to meet with Horizon Capital’s representatives—Damian’s people—to finalize the investment contracts.
She’d offered to stay and help me finish the quarterly projections, but I’d insisted she go. This was too important to delay.
Besides, I could handle a few spreadsheets on my own.
Or so I’d thought.
My stomach growled loudly, reminding me that I’d skipped lunch. And dinner.
When was the last time I’d eaten? Breakfast at Damian’s this morning felt like a lifetime ago.
Those perfect croissants and quiches seemed like a distant dream now.
I should order something. Just a quick sandwich from the deli downstairs.
But the project timeline was due tomorrow morning, and I was still behind on the financial forecasts. If I could just push through another hour, maybe two...
The numbers on the screen started swimming again.
Come on, Aria. Focus.
I took a sip of my now-cold coffee and immediately regretted it. The bitter liquid hit my empty stomach like acid, and a sharp twinge of discomfort made me wince.
Okay. Maybe I should eat something.
I reached for my phone to call the deli, but the moment I stood up, the room tilted sideways.
Pain exploded in my abdomen—sharp, vicious, and completely overwhelming.
Oh God.
I clutched the edge of my desk, gasping. This wasn’t just hunger. This was something else entirely.
The kind of pain that made your vision blur and your legs give out.
I’d dealt with stomach issues before—stress-induced gastritis, the doctor had called it back in college. But it had never been this bad.
Not this sudden. Not this intense.
I needed help.
My phone. Where was my phone?
I fumbled for it on the desk, my hands shaking so badly I nearly knocked over my coffee mug.
The pain was getting worse, radiating from my stomach in waves that made me want to curl up on the floor and never move again.
Call Jennifer. She’d know what to do.
I managed to unlock my phone, but my vision was so blurry I could barely see the screen.
I jabbed at what I thought was Jennifer’s contact, pressed the call button, and immediately collapsed against my desk.
The phone rang once. Twice.
Please pick up. Please.
"Aria?"
That wasn’t Jennifer’s voice.
That was Damian’s.
Oh no. Oh God, I’d called the wrong person.
"I—" My voice came out as barely a whisper.
I tried to speak louder, but another wave of pain cut through me like a knife, and all I could manage was a strangled gasp.
"Aria, what’s wrong?" His voice sharpened instantly, losing all trace of his usual controlled composure. "Talk to me."
"My... stomach..." I forced the words out through clenched teeth. "It hurts... really bad..."
The world was starting to tilt again. I slid down to the floor, my back against the desk, phone still pressed to my ear.
"Where are you?" Damian’s voice was urgent now, almost frantic. "Aria, where are you right now?"
"... Corporation..." Speaking was getting harder. Everything was getting harder. "Top floor... conference room..."
"Stay on the line. Don’t hang up. Do you hear me?"
But the phone was slipping from my hand. The pain was too much. I couldn’t think, couldn’t focus on anything except the fire in my gut.
"Aria!"
I heard him shout my name, but then everything went dark.
---
Damian’s POV
I’d been reviewing acquisition contracts when my phone rang.
The call came in at 11:47 PM—late enough that I almost didn’t answer. But then I saw her name on the screen.
Aria.
My thumb hit the accept button before I’d consciously decided to pick up.
"Aria?"
Silence.
Not complete silence—I could hear breathing. Ragged, labored breathing that made every muscle in my body tense.
"Aria, what’s wrong?" I was on my feet before I realized I’d moved. "Talk to me."
More silence, broken only by a soft, pained gasp that went straight through my chest like a blade.
"My... stomach..." Her voice was barely audible. "It hurts... really bad..."
Ice flooded my veins.
"Where are you?" I was already grabbing my keys, shoving my feet into shoes. "Aria, where are you right now?"
"... Corporation... Top floor... conference room..."
The words came out broken, each one clearly costing her effort.
"Stay on the line. Don’t hang up. Do you hear me?"
I was in my car before she could answer, the engine roaring to life as I tore out of my driveway.
"Aria!" I shouted into the phone when she didn’t respond.
Nothing.
The line was still connected, but she wasn’t talking anymore. I could hear faint, shallow breathing, but that was it.
My hands tightened on the steering wheel until my knuckles went white.
She’d better be okay. She’d damn well better be okay or I was going to—
I forced myself to breathe. Losing control wouldn’t help her.
I dialed Rick with my other phone.
"Get me building access to V&S Corporation headquarters. Executive override. Now."
"Your Majesty, it’s nearly midnight—"
"Now, Rick."
He knew better than to argue when I used that tone. "Yes, sir. Sending the codes to your phone."
The drive to her office building felt like it took hours, even though I knew it was less than ten minutes.
Every second she didn’t answer was another second my wolf clawed at the inside of my skull, demanding I get to her faster.
When I finally burst through the conference room door and saw her crumpled on the floor, pale and unconscious, something inside me snapped.
I was across the room in two strides, dropping to my knees beside her and gathering her into my arms.
She was burning up. Fever-hot and covered in cold sweat, her face twisted even in unconsciousness.
"Aria..." I brushed the damp hair back from her face. "Come on, sweetheart. Open your eyes for me."
Her eyelids fluttered, and relief crashed through me so hard it left me breathless.
"You’re awake." I stood, holding her close against my chest. "Where does it hurt?"
She pressed a trembling hand to her stomach, and I bit back a curse.
Gastritis. Had to be. I’d seen the way she worked herself to exhaustion, skipping meals, running on coffee and sheer stubbornness.
Reckless. She was absolutely reckless with her own health.
"I’m sorry..." she whispered, and the sound of it made my chest tight. "I didn’t mean to... call you... I thought it was Jennifer..."
"Don’t apologize." The words came out harsher than I intended, anger surging up to replace the fear.
Not anger at her—anger at the situation, at the fact that she’d pushed herself this far. "Do you have any idea how worried I was? When you stopped responding—"
I cut myself off before I said something I’d regret.
She didn’t need my anger right now. She needed medical attention.
"You need to take better care of yourself," I said more quietly, forcing my voice to steady. "Working yourself to the point of collapse isn’t strength, Aria. It’s reckless."
She made a small, pained sound and buried her face against my chest.
Something in that gesture—the trust in it, the vulnerability—made my wolf settle slightly.
She’d called me. Even if it was an accident, even if she’d meant to call someone else, she’d reached out to me when she needed help.
That had to mean something.
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